Several of our attorneys received The Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Publico Award for their outstanding service to The Legal Aid Society and its clients. The Honorable Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the State of New York presented the awards to our attorneys.

The firm was also recognized for its work in connection with law reform litigation on behalf of children in foster care. The Legal Aid Society and the firm litigated a class action on behalf of children in foster care in New York City. This matter arises out of a disturbing pattern in which children in foster care are admitted to psychiatric hospitals, are subsequently declared ready for discharge, and yet are kept confined in the hospitals for months, due to the failure of the ACS to find them an appropriate foster care placement. We conducted extensive legal and factual investigations and filed a class action complaint and motion for a preliminary injunction which was preliminarily approved in November. Among other things, the stipulation would provide for a recently created unit within ACS to carefully track foster children placed in acute-care psychiatric facilities in order to help find them less restrictive placements. The settlement was approved by the EDNY and provides relief to the entire class that will ensure children in foster care in New York City are not subjected to confinement in acute-care psychiatric hospitals for any longer than is necessary.